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Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County: Devon

District: West Devon (District Authority)

Parish: Meavy

National Park: DARTMOOR

National Grid Reference: SX 54728 64525

Summary

An unenclosed stone hut circle settlement 270m north west of Lower Cadworthy Farm.

Reasons for Designation

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and, because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time. Stone hut circles and hut settlements were the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers on Dartmoor. They mostly date from the Bronze Age, with the earliest examples on the Moor in this building tradition dating to about 1700 BC. The stone-based round houses consist of low walls or banks enclosing a circular floor area; remains of the turf or thatch roof are not preserved. The huts may occur singly or in small or large groups and may lie in the open or be enclosed by a bank of earth and stone. Although they are common on the Moor, their longevity and their relationship with other monument types provide important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming practices amongst prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period. The unenclosed stone hut circle settlement 270m north west of Lower Cadworthy Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, use, development, relationship to nearby monuments, agricultural and settlement practices and its place within a broader ecological framework and landscape context.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 9 November 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes an unenclosed stone hut circle settlement situated on the eastern edge of Wigford Down overlooking the Plym Valley. The settlement survives as three stone hut circles which are defined by circular rubble built walls surrounding internal areas which measure from 4.5m to 7m in diameter. The stone hut circle walls measure up to 2m wide and 0.5m high. The settlement lies outside the Wigford Down Coaxial field system.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number: DV 566

Legacy System: RSM - OCN

Sources

Legal

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

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